1) Field of the Invention
The present invention is directed to storage and shipping pallets.                2) Description of Prior Art        
Transport and storage devices such as pallets that enable rapid assembly and breakdown are increasingly important for efficient packaging and mobility of materials. However, existing palletized systems are limited by time consuming packaging that requires extraneous parts such as steel banding and additional customization to secure loads. Furthermore, partial loads are not easily accommodated due to a lack of modularity in palletized systems or unequal weight distribution across such pallets caused by the partial load, rendering the loads susceptible to damage.
In general, a wide variety of pallets and containers are known for transporting cargo and for use with equipment such as fork lifts and pallet trucks. These pallets include one frame or two frames and can be configured to accommodate the various material handling devices needed to move and transport the pallet. For example, in a related art, a strapless pallet includes a top frame and bottom frame with saddles is configured to hold cylindrical objects such as bombs between the two frames. The pallet requires separate tools to secure transported objects within the pallet. In another related art, a transport pallet includes a single frame with receptacles and optional corner posts to increase stability. The underside surface of the frame includes feet for fork lift handling, and the frame can be used with straps for securing the load. A separate top frame is not included in the pallet structure, and separate straps are needed to secure the load.
In a further related art, a pallet structure forms an anti-propagation explosive packaging. The pallet includes a top frame and a bottom frame, and munitions are placed between the two frames. Panels extend from the top frame to the bottom frame to act as shields. Lifting rings are included on the upper surface of the top frame. The underside surface of the top frame includes openings to stabilize the top forward end of munitions. Wooden feet on the underside of the bottom frame enable fork lift handling of the pallet structure. The pallet structure is customized for particular munitions, requires separate tools to buildup and breakdown, is not adjustable and is not collapsible.
In an additional related art, a single-frame pallet includes two adjoining decks to reduce impact upon the frame imparted by a fork lift. The decks include opposing mating areas and latch members in order to securely adjoin the decks in an assembled configuration. Transported objects are placed and secured on top of the single-frame pallet. Additionally, related art recite structural features associated with single-frame pallets having two adjoining decks.
The United States Army and the United States Marine Corps use wooden pallets, steel banding, custom wooden adapters and spacers to ship and store loads such as artillery rounds and ammunition boxes. These materials are often discarded after use rather than being reused or recycled. These pallets are time-consuming to load and reconfiguration for partial loads is difficult. Tools are required to cut the steel banding and to access the pallet load. Furthermore, palletizing tools are required to rebuild the load when necessary. Wooden materials need to be treated for nematodes and other pests. Extraneous tools and supplies are needed to assemble, load, and break-down pallets. Additionally, many of these systems do not accommodate material handling equipment (MHE) devices such as conveyors, fork lifts, slings and pallet trucks. All of these factors result in costly and inefficient systems for transport and storage using palletized devices.